juleedis

A year ago I developed excruciating plantar fasciitis in both feet. I knew that I'd been gaining weight but the pain in my feet prevented me from exercising, even walking the dog a few blocks was painful. I saw a podiatrist who tried every way possible to fix me, but it was clearly not going anywhere and after thousands of dollars and 6 months of no improvement, I changed tactics and looked into Bariatrics.

It was a radical decision, and one I wasn't sure I was ready to make but I was facing a lifetime of pain if I didn't try something radical. I've never been able to keep weight off on my own, and once the insurance company, doctors and specialists agreed that this was what I needed to do to lose weight and become mobile again, I went for it.

I just had my surgery on April 24, 2012. About 2 weeks ago. The surgery was a breeze. Recovery in the hospital, not so fun. Who wants to be hooked up to an IV in a hospital? Pain meds and anesthesia really did a number on me and it wasn't until I got home and stopped taking the meds that I returned to normal, fast.

Downside to surgery - the chest pain has been really bad. It's taken me a while to be able to drink much, and at 2 weeks, I'm struggling to get in 64 ounces of fluid a day. I frequently feel the need to regurgitate shortly after drinking water, though thankfully, I don't. I can easily drink broth and - I know, BAD ME - I can easily drink diluted juices. I justify the juice because I'm just so thirsty all the time, and at least I'm getting hydrated, even if I am getting too many sugars/carbs. Let's face it, even with the juice I'm still hovering around 500 calories a day so it's not like I'm taking on more calories than my body will burn. I'm also feeling light headed. I think it's because I'm starving, but I don't feel like I'm starving because my stomach is for all intents and purposes, gone!

Upside to surgery - 1 week after surgery I was back at work and back to wearing my "old" clothes (no more yoga pants and sweats. I am actually able to wear slacks and jeans again).

Another upside, my feet are already better - pain is down to a manageable level and I can even walk barefoot around the house again. I'm not going to the gym yet, but I am walking at least 2 miles/day.

More to come as my journey continues.